All articles by Illya Verpraet
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AnalysisEV battery supply chains on the move
As electric vehicles become serious business for OEMs, they are reassessing their battery supply and manufacturing bases, putting their eggs in multiple baskets and taking more control of the process.
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ArticleThe software-defined assembly line
The manufacturing industry is on the cusp of a revolution, where investment is led by software rather than hardware. That in turn enables a raft of new possibilities in creating the factory of the future, according to experts from Audi, ABB and Cosmo Tech.
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ArticleElectrification and digitalisation go hand in hand at Ford and VW
As the automotive industry electrifies, manufacturing is changing dramatically and OEMs are using big data to keep pace with that change. Increasingly moving into the world of tech, old quality control processes may no longer suffice since a lot of EV components cannot be reworked like traditional equivalents. Manufacturing has to be ultra-precise like never before.
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ArticleVW and Ford invest in flexible production for an uncertain future
The speed of change in the technology of cars and rapid electrification requires new manufacturing equipment and is making expensive old machines redundant, but exactly where the industry is going next is hard to predict. More flexible manufacturing is the answer.
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ArticleCellular manufacturing adds flexibility in Mercedes-Benz bodyshop
For the production of the new C-class, Mercedes has taken the opportunity to add flexibility by way of cellular manufacturing in the body shop and with so-called ‘TecLines’ for assembly.
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ArticleGlobal suppliers need modularity and flexibility in the EV age
Electric vehicles bring with them high development costs and large expenses for retooling plants. To get around that, OEMs and tier suppliers must work together to develop flexible, modular production systems, according to panellists from ZF and ABB at last week’s AMS Livestream on electrification.
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ArticleCarmakers pledge to switch to all-electric vehicles
The wave of electrification is slowly turning into a tsunami, in Europe at least. Illya Verpraet takes a look at some of the big manufacturing plans in 2021
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ArticleThyssenkrupp restructures and carves out auto body division
Thyssenkrupp has launched Automotive Body Solutions as a separate business unit to focus on both in-house production and developing lightweight materials, as well as production equipment
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ArticlePlaying catch-up in plastics recycling for automotive production
A closed loop for plastics in the automotive industry has so far been a distant dream, as an unmanageable variety of mixed materials makes recycling them into new high-quality materials unviable. Fortunately, there are some promising new approaches on the horizon.
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NewsFord Europe invests $1 billion in Cologne for EV production
After JLR, Ford has also announced that all its vehicles for sale in Europe will be pure-electric by 2030. It is investing $1 billion in its Cologne (Köln) plant to make that a reality. This move will be supported by the sharing of the VW Group’s MEB electric vehicle platform.
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NewsThe time is now to start integrating robotics into plant and warehouse logistics
Robotics have enabled major productivity gains in manufacturing, but as the technology becomes more affordable and labour gets harder to find and more expensive, it could start to play a bigger role in the plant logistics and warehousing, too, helping workers do their jobs more safely and quickly.
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ArticleGerman carmakers race to secure European battery cell production
The millions of electric vehicles being produced also need millions of batteries. But where do the German manufacturers source their cells from?
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ArticleLocalised battery production key to EV penetration in North America
Electric vehicle sales in North America have lagged other regions, but changing US policy and new technology is set to change that – as long as the region can develop a local lithium-ion battery value chain
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ArticlePowertrain to the people
As the automotive industry rapidly electrifies, powertrain suppliers have to adapt, but Illya Verpraet finds out that ZF is on board with the transition, enjoying more freedom in both engineering and manufacturing
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ArticlePower is nothing without control
Chassis components keep the wheels from falling off the EV revolution. Illya Verpraet found out how Gestamp is managing the change with material and quality control innovation
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ArticleIneos finalises supply for Hambach takeover
Ineos Automotive has officially taken over operations of the Daimler plant in Hambach, France, after completing the purchase of the facility in December last year. It will start building the firm’s Grenadier off-roader in 2021, as well as continue to build the Smart EQ Fortwo until the end of its model cycle.
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ArticleAI and automation in automotive production need people and quality data to succeed
Experts from BMW, Ford, Symbio Robotics and Cosmo Tech discussed how artificial intelligence (AI) and automation in automotive production need fast ramp-up times and adoption by employees to succeed. High-quality data and use of simulation are also key.
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ArticleThe human side of artificial intelligence
The robots are coming, and we should all be welcoming them, according to BMW, which has a plan to introduce AI to its factories, starting from grassroots initiatives. Report by Illya Verpraet
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ArticleSustainability at the core of leadership at Scania and ArcelorMittal
At last week’s inaugural AMS livestream, Scania’s Mathias Wijkström was joined by ArcelorMittal’s Hugo Da Gama Campos to discuss making automotive production greener and how it is vital to put sustainability at the heart of the production system.
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ArticleAudi introduces closed-loop systems for aluminium, wastewater and plastic
Audi has detailed how it is introducing closed-loop systems to its plants as part of its goal to make all its five plants carbon-neutral by 2025. This includes aluminium, wastewater and a pilot project for chemical recycling of plastics.